The busiest periods on Ottawa roads are between 8 a.m. and 8:45 a.m. and 4:15 p.m. and 5:15 p.m. as public servants return to the office and students are back in class after summer vacation, but the peak traffic volume periods vary by neighbourhood. The City of Ottawa and OC Transpo are expecting an additional 65,000 trips into downtown Ottawa each week this fall, with public servants spending at least four days a week in the office and post-secondary students returning to Ottawa for the fall semester. As part of the city’s plan to keep traffic moving, it’s unveiled a Mobility Dashboard to provide a snapshot of weekly travel trends and transit conditions, looking at peak travel periods to the downtown core from Central Ottawa (Carlingwood, Algonquin College, South Keys and Alta Vista), Barrhaven and Findlay Creek, Kanata/Stittsville, and Orléans, Cumberland and Navan. During the period of Aug. 28 to Sept. 3, the busiest travel day was Thursday, and the quietiest travel day was Monday. The data shows heavy traffic reporting at different times heading into the downtown core during the morning peak period, with heavy traffic starting as early as 7:30 a.m. and 7:45 a.m. in Orléans, Cumberland and Navan, between 8 a.m. and 8:15 a.m. in Barrhaven and Riverside South, and the “highest” levels of traffic beginning between 8:15 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. in Kanata, Stittsville, Carp and Richmond. During the afternoon peak period, the highest levels of traffic congestion are reported in the Kanata, Stittsville and Carp areas between 4:15 p.m. and 5:15 p.m., between 3:30 p.m. and 5:15 p.m. in Barrhaven, between 4 p.m. and 5:15 p.m. in Orléans South and Navan, and between 4:15 p.m. and 5 p.m. in Orléans North. According to the city’s website, city staff are monitoring traffic conditions at several locations in the neighbourhoods. Here is a look at when the “highest” and “very high” traffic patterns are during the morning and afternoon peak periods between Aug. 28 and Sept. 3, according to the city. Central Ottawa Morning peak periods to travel to downtown Ottawa Afternoon peak period from downtown Ottawa to each area West Ottawa Morning peak periods to travel to downtown Ottawa Afternoon peak period from downtown Ottawa to each area South Ottawa Morning peak periods to travel to downtown Ottawa Afternoon peak period from downtown Ottawa to each area East Ottawa Morning peak periods to travel to downtown Ottawa Afternoon peak period from downtown Ottawa to each area
